Best Public Schools in Kalona, IA

The city of Kalona, Iowa is home to two schools - Mid-Prairie Middle School and Mid-Prairie East Elementary School, both part of the Mid-Prairie Community School District. The middle school has 410 students, while the elementary school has 280 students, serving grades K-5 and 6-8 respectively.

Mid-Prairie Middle School stands out as a strong performer, with consistently high test scores that exceed both district and state averages across English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science. Over 75% of the school's students score proficient or better on the ISASP assessments. In contrast, Mid-Prairie East Elementary has seen improvements in its statewide ranking, moving from a 1-star to a 2-star rating, indicating progress but still below average compared to other elementary schools in Iowa.

Both schools have relatively high chronic absenteeism rates around 21.6%, an area the district may want to address. The schools also have similar demographics, with approximately 27% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. Interestingly, the per-student spending is higher at the elementary school ($13,475) compared to the middle school ($12,362), a disparity the district may want to examine further.